A Lupus Diet - Eliminate Lupus With Nutritional Healing

When dealing with an anti-inflammatory disease such as lupus, it is extremely important you use your first line of defence, the nutrients from food, to support your body's ability to avoid flares and promote healing. Although doctors say that there is no lupus cure, it simply isn't the case. Not only have I completely healed (and tested negative) for lupus, others have as well. The best news is that many of us healed in different ways, one of which is through a lupus diet.

As with many auto immune and degenerative issues, lupus can compromise the digestive tract, making it essential the nutrients you are eating are being absorbed. It is also necessary to determine if you have any food sensitivities and allergies, that will also affect how well you digest your food, if your body reacts to it and therefore how you feel.

Although not often publicized, the best diet for lupus and healing is ultimately the best diet for everyone as it is derived from the unparalleled nutrition offered from fresh fruits, vegetables and whole foods while avoiding far too common processed, fatty, refined foods so abundant in our food stores. The simple reason this type of diet is so helpful is because it is, by nature, an anti-inflammatory diet. The best diet for Lupus includes simple, freshly prepared natural raw foods while eliminating fast processed foods and the 4 'white foods' including sugar, salt, flour and carbohydrates.

Lupus patients are also well advised to be careful when consuming nightshade vegetables such as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and pepper in addition to alfalfa as these have been linked to trigger flares. It is important to note, however that people have different dietary needs and don't react the same to foods, so what may trigger one patient may not be a food trigger for another.

Say good-bye to fatty foods!

Fatty foods are essentially inflammatory. It is for that reason they should be completely avoided, at least while you are in the healing process and working to eliminate lupus and experience a lupus cure. It is far better to allow your body to heal and regain a properly functioning immune system and then slowly introduce a few favourite foods back, (while looking forward to regaining your health and vibrancy).

In addition to being inflammatory, fatty foods also cause what is known as 'thick blood' which lowers the body's oxygen supply to the cells and tissues in your body. Not only can this cause tissue damage, which promote auto-antibodies (the last thing your body needs, as it causes an inflammatory response) but also significantly dampens your energy levels. Chronic fatigue is one of the primary issues dealing with lupus, so please heed this caution in particular for your dietary practices.

Nutritional Healing for Lupus A low-fat, whole food, plant based diet is the diet of choice if you have lupus, or any disease concerning inflammation (which most disease do!). Not only will it decrease your joint pain, reduce strain on the kidneys, spleen and other organs, it will also lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart attack. Another added benefit is it will also support weight loss, which many lupus sufferers write to me about, as a consequence of steroid side effects.

Most importantly, this diet will reduce the number of antigen-autobodies in your body, a primary factor that causes lupus flares. Many people are now aware of the great health benefits derived from Omega 3. The primary benefit concerns the fact that these essential fatty acids act as an anti-inflammatory, exactly what we need if we have lupus. Therefore, with reduced inflammation comes reduced pain and increased mobility.

Because our common food intake doesn't provide enough of these healthy fats, it is extremely wise (especially if you have lupus) to supplement with them. Flaxseed oil is a popular source of Omega 3, however recently there is evidence that your best source of omega 3 comes from fish oil, in particular krill oil. Of course, eating a diet rich with Omega 3 is important, and the most common source of EFA's is from salmon, and other cold-water fish such as tuna. Other sources include avocados, spinach, and mustard greens.

There are a lot more lupus diet do's and don'ts you should be cognizant of, including the debate on protein (including soy protein and lupus), and which nutrients are destroyed through various drugs you may be prescribed. These dietary issues are typically not discussed by your doctor and if you would like more information please visit the site listed below. What you eat matters! (If it matters when we're not ill, think of how much more important it is for when you are!). Remember, lupus can and has been healed and you have every reason to believe it can work for you too (or at minimum, significantly reduce lupus symptoms). Despite doctors claiming there is no Lupus cure, for those of us who no longer have it, we beg to differ.

Wishing you and your loved one's the very best, especially in good health and lupus-free!